4 cylinder 4x4 fuel economy worth it over 6 cyl "trd" model

I have a manual 2.7 4x4 and get around 23 on back roads and 25 highway doing 65-70. I have no issue with not having enough power to Tow my 2000lb boat. I usually put it in 4L on the ramp to save the clutch but it can be pulled out of the water in high. If you find you need a little more power put a supercharger in.

 

No right or wrong choice here. Everyone has their own priorities (power, gas mileage, maintenance, etc), so the decision is based on personal preference.

I prefer a 4-cyl, because power is not a priority for me. I don't haul a trailer and my ego doesn't mind gearing down on the hills. In 4-low crawling, it doesn't make any difference. My 2.7 has 150hp, and thats plenty. My old 22R had 95hp, and it got me thru the Rubicon about 15 times (no stucks or breakdowns).

Other 2.7 advantages:
- easier to work on (more room in the bay)
- no timing belt to replace (chain is basically a life-time part)
- fewer moving parts
- only one head gasket
- better gas mileage
- cheaper to buy

 

Thanks everybody. I ended up getting a 2013 access cab off road model. had it on 3 off road spots and going again this weekend. Truck is incredible, the only thing I wish for is a little more ground clearance, but I most likely will leave it all stock
Jeff

 

Shoot, I'm quite happy with the 2.7 engine. It takes me to work, on trips, tows a 2500 lb trailer and everything else I've asked it to do. I just came back from a trip through WV on the turnpike, that truck did as well as my old 4Runner. I had to drop down 1 gear but it was fine.

Gas mileage is only 21.5 mpg but they use a different blend here in the winter. My truck is an Access Cab, 4 cyl, 5 speed.

Bottom line, for what I do I very happy with the 4 cyl.

 

I have had a 3.4 4runner as well as the 2.7 I own now. I like my 2.7 keeps me out of trouble. Btw......I think the 6 and the 4 are rated for similar gas mileage .

 

I think the only real concern is the tranny. If Toyota were to put a real unit like a 5 or 6 speed, the 4cyl would be so much better. It's all marketing I bet. Put a low power 4cyl with a terrible tranny and get everyone to spend 3-4K more on a V6 with a nice 5 speed.

I have a double cab with the 4 and in town it's hard to beat. The city fuel economy is what really sets it apart. That and the combined fuel economy. Hwy alone; it isn't much better than the v6 and it struggles up hills and bridges above 70mph. I get roughly 20 to 21 city and a best of 23.5 hwy averaging 70mpg on flat roads along the Gulf Coast. This is using 87 octane blended fuel with 10% ethanol which supposedly has less stored energy than pure gasoline. Maybe i'd get that EPA estimate of 24mpg or better with real gas.

 

My mileage is similar to yours and the thing I like about my truck is that there isn't anything else on the market that offers

-4x4
-5-speed manual
-over 9" of stock ground clearance
-up to 25 mpg if driven conservatively
-affordability
-fun-to-drive

That's why the 4-cylinder appealed to me. You go with the V6 and economy looks more like a full-size and the price goes up.

And you're right about the transmission. The common thread in these 4-cylinder vs V6 threads seems to be the manual transmission owners seem a lot happier with the 2.7 than those who get it with the automatic.

 

Yep

 

I bought a 4cyl 2.7l and absolutely regret it. I bought it specifically to save on gas and I think I get worse mileage out of my tank than the 6cyl guys. Right now I get between 15.9-17mpg (all city with a lot of hills and warming up). It drives me crazy I could have been getting the same mileage out of a 6cyl with much more power. The 4cyl is a little weak, it does not stand out from other cars but I have to run it higher on the power band to accelerate with traffic.

 

I do most if not all engine repairs on my vehicles and the 4cyl is by far the easiest to work on. That's the main reason I have this truck now. Going from a 22re to a 3rz was an easy transition and I don't really plan on changing to the V6, at least not in the near future.

 

My v6 auto trans do not makes more than 16 mpg in a 50/50 day drive. I'm running on 33'' tires. Probably the tires are the "anchors", but I'm really surprised with trucks doing 19-20 mpg

 

My 2.7 gets me an average of 19mpg. That's with a 5spd on 295/75/R16s.

No complaints here

 

thread is 3 years old guys

 

Both motors are reliable from what I've read, mileage is pretty similar. I think the extra power of the V6 and (I think) higher resale value are worth going with the V6. But that's assuming you like the rest of the truck equally as well.

(thread revival)

 

Touche...

 

Buy whichever you find that suits you, neither engine in a 4WD are much different on fuel, getting better or worse in most cases depends on your driving habits.

If you drive the 4 hard and the V6 easy, you may get better fuel economy in the V6. These old gen 1 Tacomas are getting hard to find, so buy the first one you like and forget about it being a 6 or 4.

Don